Skopje, 1 August 2025 (MIA) – SDSM calls on the head of state not to sign the bills on police and internal affairs into laws saying the legislation abolishes professionalism and the police force will be under direct commands of the interior minister.

“Under the new so-called laws, Minister Toshkovski gets unlimited power and significantly expanded reserve power. Now, he can nominate Public Security Bureau head from all spheres of social sciences, which is an unseen precedent aimed at fully disabling professionalism at the Interior Ministry. He will have the power now to appoint commanders who have no previous experience. The main professional criteria for top posts are also removed, which leaves wide space to install party members who don’t have adequate operational experience,” SDSM vice president Ana Chupeska told a news conference Friday ahead of the Security Council session.

Concerning, Chupeska said, are also the provisions paving the way for mass surveillance through biometric data and the provision allowing police officers who have been found guilty for crimes carrying a jail sentence to at least six months to be appointed to top posts at the Ministry.

“All of these dangerous, undemocratic and anti-European amendments lead to nothing more than total partization, increased repression and undermining of human rights. In a nutshell, they pave the way for police state. The so-called laws are deeply compromising and non-European because they envisage the shutting down of regional border affairs centers, which is a step closer to revoking border police. Amid our cooperation with Frontex, this is a highly risky move because border police must have a special status and operational independence,” Chupeska said.

The embassies of the EU, the United States, OSCE and the Council of Europe will be informed about this, she added.

“We are deeply convinced that the President has the will to stand on the side of constitutionality, democracy and on the side of merit system. Now, she has a unique chance to demonstrate this willingness in practice,” SDSM’s Chupeska concluded.

Photo: SDSM